Good boards know that communities are made up of people with different aspirations and needs. To serve their communities well and make good decisions, boards need insight into their communities. They should aim to be connected and trusted by those they serve.
Make sure memberships are as complex and diverse as the community they serve. There are no “token” appointments.
Board members bring unique and valuable knowledge but are not appointed to push their own agendas.
Understand the skills and experience each board member brings. Board members wear many hats.
Meetings are inclusive; board members listen to and seek to understand each other’s views and make collective decisions.
Challenge and debate with each other in respectful and constructive ways and always in the best interests of the organisation.
Recognise everyone has unconscious biases and take the time to work out what that means for decision-making.
Plan for the succession of board members and build a strong, diverse pipeline of potential board members.
Ensure board meetings are safe and welcoming. The Chair has a key role in building trust among members and finding ways to manage different views. Continually emphasising the kaupapa of the organisation can help keep debate between board members positive and constructive.
Analyse the skills and experience needed on your board so that you can make good decisions for all your community. Identify any gaps in skills, knowledge and experience. Recruit for them. Take time to recruit, focus on finding the person with the right skills. You may wish to create a nomination sub-committee to run the recruitment.
Have a plan for replacing board members when they step aside. Good boards think about and plan for the skills they may need in the future.
Create a pathway for future leaders to join your board, with a specific interest in creating pathways for Māori.
Seek to remove any barriers to being on your board, such as childcare needs, transport costs, and language barriers.
Understand your community in terms of its diversity, demographics, needs, and aspirations.
Include diversity and inclusion in your board trust deed, constitution, policies, and strategy. Set targets, put diversity and inclusion on the agenda for each meeting, and measure your progress.
Widely share board vacancies, including details of the skills, knowledge, and experience you are looking for. This will make your recruitment process open and transparent.
Consider adopting a Co-Chair model. For many organisations, this is part of their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with a tangata whenua and tau iwi Chair working together.
Provide opportunities for board members to workshop complex decisions. Workshops allow time for board members to work collaboratively.
Consider creating board observer roles to build a strong, diverse pool of future board members. Potential board members can join meetings before committing to full board roles.
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